Empowering you to meet regulatory and best practice requirements - P2
Empowering you to meet regulatory and best practice requirements
#SafetyThroughInnovation: Expiry dates of products supplied via automation
|
When stock is delivered to pharmacies from the wholesalers we use, there is an agreement that there should be at least four months until the expiry date of the stock. Most products received however far exceed this. Occasionally, there may be exceptions to this and products with a shorter expiry date are supplied.
When assembling prescriptions (particularly using automation technology, including the DSP, Assisted Due Date Dispensing (ADDD) or Scan to Accuracy Check), please be aware that if the prescribed quantity is for a supply period which exceeds four months, there is a risk that a product may be supplied that will become out of date before the total quantity is used by the patient. To mitigate this risk, when handling stock associated with ADDD or Scan to Accuracy Check, please ensure that date checks are undertaken and consider the duration of time that the supply covers. If necessary, an owing should be created and a digital ‘Advice or action needed’ note should be added to the prescription group to ensure any further supplies last the full duration of treatment. If such a supply is proposed for assembly at the DSP, these item(s) should be identified and dispensed in store.
IMPORTANT: Reporting issues for Boots-branded medicines and medical devices
|
The Product Quality Report Form (PQRF), which is available as an electronic MyHub mission, is used for reporting all adverse events and serious quality issues for Boots-branded medicines and medical devices. It is important to ensure that adverse events (including special situations) and serious product quality issues relating to Boots-branded products are reported as soon as possible and on the same day of a store team member becoming aware of the issue. The reporting process is supported by SOP AD7 (or SOP HAD6 for hospital stores).
Further information including how and when to report adverse events, special situations and quality issues using the MyHub Mission can be accessed on BootsLive.
UPDATE: NEWT guidelines
|
The NEWT guidelines are a useful resource providing guidance on the administration of medications to patients with enteral feeding tubes or swallowing difficulties. Pharmacy professionals can access these guidelines via https://www.newtguidelines.com by using the log in details: Username: delta154; Password: starlight.
REMINDER: National Patient Safety Alert for Kay-Cee-L® syrup
|
On 21 October 2024, the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) issued a National Patient Safety Alert, regarding the discontinuation of Kay-Cee-L® (potassium chloride 375mg/5ml (equivalent to 5mmol/5ml)) syrup from late November. The DHSC alert, which includes supporting information for healthcare professionals regarding alternative items to be
prescribed, is available here.
IMPORTANT: Robust clinical assessment for drug interactions
|
A recent communication by a Health Board in Wales highlighted clarithromycin as a medicine which has a significant potential for interacting with other medicines (including fentanyl, carbamazepine and ticagrelor), sharing that there had been patients admitted to hospital as a result of a clarithromycin drug interaction.
When data entering and assembling prescriptions, it is important that any potential drug interactions that are highlighted by the PMR system are identified and actioned appropriately to ensure that a medicine that is not suitable for a patient isn’t supplied and/or to ensure that counselling can be provided, as appropriate. Information on drug interactions can be found in the BNF and Stockley’s Interaction Checker, which can be accessed here.